What are Templates?
Templates are the next generation of Clinical Prompts in PatientNotes — giving you a visual, structured editor to control exactly how your clinical notes are formatted, instead of writing plain-text instructions to the AI.
With Templates you define your exact sections, the order they appear in, how each section is formatted, and rules for when sections should show up — all without writing a single line of code or prompt text.
🔗 New to Templates? First read: What's the Difference Between Prompts and Templates?
See it in action
Watch the interactive walkthrough to see the Template Editor before you build your first template:
How to Access Templates
If you don't see the Templates option, go to Settings → Profile and enable Extended Templates
How to Create a Template
Option A — Start from scratch
Click New Template
Give your template a name (e.g. "Initial Physiotherapy Assessment")
Add your sections using the + Add Section button
Configure each section (see below)
Click Save
Option B — Import from your existing notes (recommended)
The fastest way to build a template is to let PatientNotes do it for you:
Click New Template
Click Import from Notes
Paste an example of your current clinical note (from your PMS, a Word doc, wherever you keep them)
PatientNotes will analyse the structure and automatically build a template from it
Review and adjust the generated sections to your preference
Click Save
💡 Tip: Import from Notes is particularly useful if you're converting an existing Clinical Prompt into the new Template format — just paste in your old prompt text.
Configuring Sections
Each section in a template can be individually configured. For every section, you can set:
Section name — the heading that will appear in your generated note (e.g. "Subjective", "Objective", "Assessment & Plan")
Output format — choose how the content within this section is presented:
Bullet points
Numbered list
Paragraph
Labelled values (e.g. "Heart rate: 72 bpm")
Visibility rules — control when this section appears in the generated note:
Always — the section always appears, even if it wasn't discussed
If Discussed — the section only appears if the topic came up in the session
Custom instructions — add specific guidance for that section (e.g. "Always include a VAS pain score in this section if mentioned")
Global Template Settings
Beyond individual sections, you can configure global settings that apply to your entire note:
Language and spelling — set Australian, British, or American English
Punctuation style — full stops at end of bullets, or not
Medical shorthand — allow or suppress abbreviations
Date formats — DD/MM/YYYY, MM/DD/YYYY, etc.
Measurement units — metric or imperial
Terminology — "patient" vs "client", "session" vs "appointment", etc.
Test Your Template Before Going Live
Before using a new template on real patient sessions, you can run a test:
Open your template in the editor
Click Test Template
PatientNotes will run a sample session through your template and show you the expected output
Adjust any sections that don't look right, then test again
💡 This is the best way to make sure your template behaves exactly the way you want before it goes live.
Reordering Sections
Drag and drop sections in the Template Editor to rearrange them. The order in the editor is the order they'll appear in your generated note.
What Happens to My Old Prompts?
Your existing Clinical Prompts are still fully accessible and working — nothing has been removed. You'll find them under Letters and Reports in the sidebar.
There's no rush to switch. Migrate at your own pace, and when you're ready, use Import from Notes to convert your existing prompts into the new Template format in seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have multiple templates?
Yes — you can create as many templates as you need. For example, you might have one for initial assessments and another for follow-up sessions. Select the appropriate template when starting a new session.
Can I share templates with my team?
Template sharing for organisations is in development. For now, each clinician configures their own templates in their own account.
Will Templates work for letters and reports?
Currently, Templates apply to clinical notes. A structured editor for letters and reports is on the roadmap.
I don't see Templates in my account — where is it?
Go to Settings → Profile and enable Extended Templates. If you still don't see it, contact support.
Need More Help?
Chat with us via the help widget inside PatientNotes, or email [email protected].